Westfield Girl Raises Money to Help End Child Slavery

Content Options

Westfied High School student Dori Kaplan donates 10 percent of her jewelry sales to Breaking the Chains Through Education.

Westfied High School student Dori Kaplan donates 10 percent of her jewelry sales to Breaking the Chains Through Education.

Westfied High School student Dori Kaplan donates 10 percent of her jewelry sales to Breaking the Chains Through Education.

Westfied High School student Dori Kaplan donates 10 percent of her jewelry sales to Breaking the Chains Through Education.

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield High School sophomore Dori Kaplan was in seventh grade when she first heard about child slavery in Ghana and an organization called Breaking the Chains Through Education (BTCTE), which buys the freedom of child slaves, reunites them with their families and helps them get education and enough food for their families.

“I learned about breaking the chain four years ago at summer camp,” Kaplan said. “I was immediately struck by the contrast between my life and the life of the kids in Ghana. I have access to great education and the hardest work I have to do all day is maybe a school assignment. These kids, on the other hand, are living below the poverty line, are neglected the opportunity for education. They live in a much less developed society and have a lot fewer opportunities than I do. I was very inspired by the presentation and knew right away this was an organization I wanted to work with. “

Kaplan, a member of Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim in Cranford, raised $6,000 that year for BTCTE for her bat mitzvah service project. Now she wants to give more by donating 10 percent of sales of the handmade beaded jewelry she makes to the organization.

“My jewelry is made of wire and glass beads. Recently, I also started making jewelry from motherboards that I took from my old DS,” the teen said. “I usually get my inspiration from the beads. I choose a certain color or bead that I would like to work with and create a design around it.”

This Sunday, Nov. 20, she’ll sell her necklaces, earrings, bracelets and other items at the YM-YWHA of Union County’s holiday fair from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 501 Green Lane in Union.

Atlantic Health System, a leading provider of health care in New Jersey, today celebrated a decade of excellence after it was recognized among Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” ranking number 74 in its 10th consecutive year on the prestigious annual list.

It is the only health care delivery system from New Jersey, and the top-ranked New Jersey based company on the ...

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield was ranked No. 70 among the safest cities in New Jersey, according to a recent report published by the National Council for Home Safety and Security, a trade association of security professionals that advocates for safe communities and home safety.

The town was one of only six Union County municipalities to make the top 100.

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — The iconic Jade Isle Restaurant located at the corner of Terrill Road and Second Street in Scotch Plains will close its doors forever after its last day on Feb. 18. A phone call to the restaurant on Saturday confirmed that the Jade Isle's long history would come to an end Sunday.

Jade Isle has served a menu of traditional Chinese and Polynesian dishes and ...

The following are highlights from the update that Mayor Shelley Brindle gave at Tuesday night’s town council meeting.

I first want to congratulate Nick Calello and David Went for their promotions to patrol officers in the Westfield Police Department. I’d also like to welcome and congratulate new Patrol Officer Fortunato Riga, who joins the police department this week upon his ...

The National Merit Scholarship Program has determined which of the 16,000 semifinalists named in September 2017 have met all requirements to advance to Finalist standing in the competition. All Finalists will be considered for National Merit Scholarships to be offered in 2018.

Wardlaw+Hartridge seniors Jennifer Guo and Suraj Chandran of Edison received their Finalist certificates from Susan ...

Officers Natale and Gill arrested Brian Mueller, age 55, of Westfield, NJ for driving while intoxicated pursuant to an accident investigation in the area of Mountain Avenue by Colonial Avenue. Subject was transported to headquarters, processed and released to a sober adult.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brings a host of changes to tax returns for 2018. Highlighted are just a few of the new rules that may impact many of our clients. Please reach out to us to find out if and how your personal situation is impacted.

And in the beginning, G‑d was homeless, and so G‑d asked His people to set Him up with some digs. Where does it say that? Well, nowhere, actually. But it does say that G‑d instructed Moses to tell the people, “They shall make for Me a Sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.”

Westfield High School sophomore Brooke Walden auditioned and was selected to the New Jersey All-State Wind Ensemble and Orchestra for a second straight year. Brooke was the top scoring piccolo player and ranked third on the flute. She will perform in February with the Wind Ensemble and in November with the Orchestra.

The tragedy of the Florida school shooting is devastating, leaving 17 killed and 15 injured. Our children can easily identify with what occurred yesterday. It will be the topic of conversation today in schools everywhere. School administrators are doing all they can to provide support and guidance. The shootings affect children, teachers, and school personnel. The school shooting ...

Good news is a brew for New Jersey craft beer advocates. In February 2018, the New Jersey Assembly’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee paved the way for the introduction of Bill A2196, which would remove a current licensing rule requiring breweries and distilleries to provide a tour of their facilities before serving alcoholic beverages to consumers. Currently, breweries holding a ...

The new tax law is predicted to reduce significantly the number of taxpayers who itemize deductions. That has some concerned about charitable giving. There are ways for taxpayers who do not itemize deductions to give to charity and still receive some tax benefits.

Give from your IRA. Those aged 70-1/2 or older, who must take required minimum distributions from retirement accounts, can ...

Did you know….
there was a time when Chatham kids could ice skate from downtown Chatham all the way to Florham Park? And that a toboggan ride could last from the top of Fairmount Avenue down to Main Street and beyond?

Those were the days!

This was back in the early to mid-1900s. The Passaic River meandered through grassy meadows and woods on the north side of Chatham. The marshy ...

NUTLEY, NJ — The Nutley Police Department is currently investigating a video posted to Instagram that suggested a possible threat to schools. Dr. Julie Glazer, Nutley Superintendent of Schools, made the decision late Thursday night to close Nutley schools on Friday as a safety precaution.

The Nutley Police Department reports they have spoken to the individual ...